Johnny Marr On Why "It Was the Right Time to Make a Solo Record"

Although he's one of the most influential guitarists from the '80s, the Smiths' Johnny Marr is just getting around to making the first-ever album attributed solely to him. When Fuse sat down with Marr, the guitar legend explained why his solo effort is the result of his stints with the Cribs, Modest Mouse and composer Hans Zimmer.

"It was the right time to make a solo record because the collaborations I've done over the last few years with Modest Mouse and the UK group the Cribs, not to mention the Inception soundtrack," Marr says. "They were all a good time and all worked out well."

The collabo-happy guitarist said he enjoyed Modest Mouse in particular. "Each member is individually a very creative person. Often I'd just shut off and listen to those guys talk for hours, and it was very funny. But after being part of a team, I wanted all of the guitar work to be done by me. It's all about me, really," Marr says, laughing.

To hear Marr explain why his solo debut isn't so much a soul-wrought confessional as a collection of great "New Wave-y" songs, watch the video above. And to hear him talk about his efforts remastering the Smiths catalog to make it "helluva lot better than the [original] CDs," watch the video interview below.